OTP Addiction
by ShaunyRedComet
Summary: Collection of unrelated stories featuring my One True Pairing, Jaune and Pyrrha. Big surprise coming from me, I know. But dag-nabbit, we need more Arkos! I'm open to story ideas, btw (no smut plz)
1. Where do we go from here?

**Happy RWBY day everyone! **

** Who here wants more Arkos? **

** *cricket cricket* **

** Oh, come on, guys! How much more crack-shipping do you need? Basically, OTP Addiction is to be a collection of unrelated Arkos stories to rectify FFnet's severe lack of the most-likely-to-be-canon ship. I can't get enough of J-roll and P-money and their adorkably awkward relationship, and I have lots and lots of ideas for stories of the two. I've found many great Arkos fanfics, yet I also find myself constantly wanting more, more, MOAR! ****Besides,**** I'm STILL trying to figure out how to end my "Cookies and Cereal" story; the way things have gone in the show's canon have made it increasingly difficult to figure out an ending for it, as I prefer to stick to canon as much as possible in my stories (there's no hope for RoseArc, basically. Sorry guys, I should've gone with FrozenArc vs Arkos, but 20/20 hindsight I guess).  
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><p><strong> Jaune and Pyrrha go on a "non-date" to discuss the recent developments in their relationship. Adapted from an unpublished story I've basically abandoned<strong>

**UPDATE 11/5/14: I edited this story to better fit in with established canon (meaning that I briefly mention stuff that happened in the last few episodes of vol 2)**

Where do we go from here?

"Mmm—I know you like 'the Dirty Blues', you listen to them all the time," Jaune chuckled between bites of cookie-dough ice cream, "but how about...I dunno, 'the Achieve Men'? A bunch of our friends like them."

Pyrrha took another bite of her cherry-cheesecake ice cream. "Hmm, I'm not really an 'Achieve Men' kind of girl. I really like 'Rage Against the Quitters' and 'Gauntlet', though."

"Oh yeah, I love 'Gauntlet'!" said Jaune, "Especially their second album. But I never pegged you for liking 'Rage', they're kinda hard core. "

Pyrrha giggled. "I actually got to meet them once; it was the last year I won the Mistral Tournament, and 'Rage' was doing a tour of the kingdom.

"That's awesome!"

"Yeah, 'Rage' did a special performance to open the Tournament with, and all the contenders got to meet with them backstage."

"Did you get their autographs?" asked Jaune.

Scratching the back of her head, Pyrrha answered: "Well, actually, they all asked _me_ for _mine_. They had even brought Pumpkin Pete's boxes with them to get signed."

Jaune grinned ear-to-ear. "Only you'd be embarrassed by something like that, Pyrrha. That's just-plain cool!"

"Oh, I do think it's cool. But, I don't know, I'm still not overly fond of people making a big deal out of me, I guess."

Jaune threw his empty ice cream cup away and watched his partner walk ahead of him down the street. "You _are_ a big deal, Pyrrha."

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><p>After the Beacon dance last Sunday, Jaune knew he and Pyrrha needed some time to sort stuff out together. But between getting ready for their first away mission and then helping to fight-off a surprise Grimm infestation, the two partners had had to focus on their jobs as Hunters-in-training, circumstances not really letting them have a chance to talk about...themselves.<br>So, after all the dust had settled, Jaune had proposed a "non-date" (his own words). He and Pyrrha would hit the town, grab some ice cream, hang out and...well, try to figure out just what their relationship was, now.

"I missed this," Pyrrha commented, "just hanging out with you, I mean."

"We hang out all the time, I thought. N-not that I'm complaining!"

The redhead laughed at Jaune's ever-faithful awkwardness. "Yes, but we had been doing it less, since the middle of the semester."

It took Jaune just a moment to understand: mid-semester was around when he really began to obsess over Weiss. So much of his time had been dedicated to pursuing her, and Jaune briefly wondered how many of his friends, besides Pyrrha, he had unintentionally neglected due to his infatuation.

"Well," Jaune said, "things are a bit different now."

"That's what you want to talk about, right?"

"To be honest...not really. Not right now, anyways. If anything, I really just want to spend time with you. Catch-up on what I missed out on, I guess."

"Hmm," Pyrrha smiled. "We might not have hung out as much, but you know pretty much all that's been going on in my life. What sort of things do you want to catch-up on?"

"Well, all the things we _would_ have talked about...and all the questions I always wanted to ask you."

"Like what?"

"Well, like...I have always wanted to ask you...your...combat gear."

Pyrrha blinked. "Hmm? What about it?"

"It's just...you wear armor, but not...everywhere." Jaune looked slightly embarrassed.

_ "What could he be blushing about?"_ Pyrrha wondered to herself. "Well, keeping my shoulders and arms unarmored does leave me a bit more vulnerable, but it allows me a much wider range of motion. I spent some time experimenting when I was younger to come up with a combat dress that has just the right balance of protection and agility."

"Oh. And uh, you don't ever feel a bit...exposed?" Jaune asked quietly.

"Not really, why?"

"Well...I mean, I'm not a creep or anything...it's just, there was that time during initiation when I was up in the tree and I...that is, I could see right down..." Jaune's face went tomato-red.

Pyrrha looked at him hard for a moment, her hands on her hips. Jaune wilted a bit under her glare, until she smirked and punched his arm. "You naughty boy!" she teased.

"I—I couldn't help it! I mean, I was looking down right at you and—well they were just _there_!" This wasn't fair! Pyrrha was having a grand ol' time teasing Jaune, giggling harder the more flustered he got.

"It's okay...so long as you enjoyed the view." Pyrrha said softly, with a wink. Jaune felt his heart rate shoot up. _"You—you just cant do that, girl!"_ he thought in his hormone-addled mind.

"You see, my coach always said I 'might as well look fabulous' when I'm out competing. And...it did give me a bit of an edge when going up against the guys." Pyrrha gave Jaune a sly grin. "When your opponent is a teenaged boy it doesn't take too much to distract them, you know."

That was one thing Jaune had been pleasantly surprised by after he had gotten to really know his partner: Pyrrha had a bit of a mischievous side. She was one of the kindest, most easy-going people Jaune had ever met, but Pyrrha could also be quite wily: Jaune recalled the times she sneaked answers to him in class, and how she began his training by surprising him with a playful push to the floor. Even the secret to her success as the "Invincible Girl" was little more than a clever application of her polarity semblance.

His embarrassment dying down, Jaune managed to smile. "Heh, I missed this too."

Pyrrha grinned. "The companionship? Or...the awkward flirting?"

"H-hey, I wasn't flirting!"

"You're the one that brought up my 'combat gear'," Pyrrha teased.

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><p>After meandering through the city the partners found themselves in a quiet park; the sun was beginning to set, casting a red-gold light over the greenery. Pyrrha noticed an unoccupied playground at one end of the park; she grabbed Jaune's hand and led him to the swing sets.<p>

"Today was a lot of fun, Jaune," Pyrrha said as she sat down on a swing. She lazily kicked off and swung gently, enjoying the slight breeze that passed through her red hair.

Jaune took the swing next to her. "Hey, let it be known that I _can_ show a girl a good time." He grinned at his partner, who smiled as she shook her head.

"I thought this was 'not-a-date'," said Pyrrha.

"_Non-date,_" Jaune corrected, "I got the idea from Ren and Nora, they go on them all the time. So...yeah, I guess it pretty much still is a date, right?"

The two just swung gently on the swing set for a while, taking in the glow of the setting sun.

Jaune was first to break the silence: "So...you like me." He said it _almost_ matter-of-fact; there was still that slight hint of disbelief in his voice.

Pyrrha gave him a shy smile. "I do. I think I started to like you from the moment I first saw you."

"In the locker room? I...kinda wish I could forget _that_ moment" Jaune groaned.

Pyrrha laughed, "Actually, the first time I saw you was at the Assembly, the day before."

"Really? I don't think I remember seeing you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Pyrrha dug her feet into the dirt, bringing her swing to a halt. She leaned back in the set, bringing her legs and body parallel to the ground, her long hair touching the sand. "Just a cute boy lost in the crowd, that's what I thought when I saw you. I didn't know anyone there, and I really didn't want anyone to recognize me, either. But I remember thinking, 'I wouldn't mind if that cute boy I saw came and talked to me'."

Bringing herself back up, Pyrrha noticed that Jaune had also stopped swinging to listen to her. "Who would've thought the very next day," she said, smiling, "that he'd do just that."

Pyrrha sat in her swing, letting her feet sway. "So, what did you think of me, the first time you saw me?"

"Heh," Jaune began with a chuckle, "I thought 'she's hot, and the cereal is delicious!'"

"What?"

"The first time I saw you, Pyrrha, was on a box of marshmallow flakes, remember?"

"Oh!" Pyrrha put her hand to her face, but was grinning. "_Pumpkin Pete's_, definitely the 'high-point of my career.' I can't believe you still have all of your teeth, after eating that stuff!"

Jaune smiled back. "So, for the record," he began, "did my little act in the locker room actually _work_?"

"Ha! Well, it certainly helped you stand out in my mind." Pyrrha said with a giggle. "Although, when I think about it you always did stand out. Even during the Assembly."

"How so?"

"Well," Pyrrha said thoughtfully, "just about everyone there had this look to them: like they had it all figured out, like they knew they were the best of the best and were ready to take on any challenge the world could throw at them." Pyrrha's eyes tensed a little. "I...really dislike that kind of attitude. It's partly why I decided to become a Huntress instead of sticking only to the pro-tournament circles."

Pyrrha smiled at Jaune. "But you, you looked so different. Like you were not sure you belonged there. I guess I found it refreshing, because at the time I wasn't sure _I_ belonged at Beacon either. "

"But, if anyone belongs at Beacon, it's you, Pyrrha!" Jaune said. He looked confused.

Pyrrha pushed off against the ground again, launching the swing forward a bit. "Well, not everyone thought so. Back home, everyone wanted me to just focus on being a tournament fighter. It's...a bit different, the tournament life. From being a Huntress, I mean."

Jaune had learned more about Pyrrha's accomplishments in the pro-tournaments since he first met her, but he still didn't know _why_ Pyrrha decided to pursue the Hunter path.

"What's so different?" he asked.

Pyrrha took a deep breath. "Basically, Huntsmen and Huntresses exist to help others. Pro-tournament fighters exist to appear on cereal boxes. I was so _tired_ of it, Jaune."

She hung her legs off the swing, letting her momentum die down. "I love the combat, I love meeting new challengers and getting to test myself. And, to be honest, I did need the money from the endorsements. But I just got so tired of...of...the lifestyle or the mindset, I guess. That's what frustrated me that first day at Beacon," Pyrrha scowled. "I was so sure Hunters were a nobler breed, that they would not have the same arrogant, high-and-mighty attitude so many pro-tournament fighters had. But when I got there, it was almost like I never left the tournament life."

Jaune listened intently as his partner spoke. "Remember the speech Ozpin gave that day? I could hear so many students complain about how he basically told us we didn't know anything. But, I kept thinking to myself that _he's right_!"

Looking at the sandy ground, Pyrrha sighed. "I once let myself think I had it hard because so many people expected me to always win. It's a lot of pressure to put on a young girl, and as I've told you before, it...can leave you feeling lonely. But, it's _nothing_ like being a Huntress. To _really_ put your life on the line, to _really_ have people depend on you, to know that if you mess up other people could die. I think Ozpin wanted us all to know what we were getting ourselves into."

The sun had dipped beyond the horizon, covering the park and surrounding city with twilight. Jaune sat in his swing, looking at Pyrrha. He had grown so much closer to her over the year, but this was a very private, very intimate side of her he was seeing.

"I...guess, ultimately what I want...is for my life to have meant something. Something more than just my name in lights, or my face on a cereal box." Pyrrha turned to look Jaune in the eye; her look was warm, affectionate, and admiring. "That's what I saw in you, too. You didn't look like you thought you were the best, or like you thought you were the Maker's gift to the world. You just looked like you wanted to _matter_."

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><p>As the streetlights came on Jaune took Pyrrha's hand and led the way back towards the heart of the city; it was getting late and they needed to catch a ride back to Beacon Academy. They walked along the streets until Pyrrha stopped and put her hands on her hips; her expression was playful, though. "You know, you never <em>did<em> say whether or not you like me, too."

Jaune blushed and looked down. Pyrrha stepped closer to him, beaming. "I think I could probably guess now how you feel about me, but," she put her hands on Jaune's shoulders, "I'd still like to hear you say it."

Sighing, Jaune looked at his partner and smiled shyly. "I-I like you Pyrrha. I _really_ like you!" Jaune was sure his face was red, but he felt good saying it. It was like a weight being lifted.

It was Pyrrha's turn to blush now; hearing him say those long-desired words, it made her feel giddy! That wonderful, light-headed feeling that Pyrrha had always heard people talk about, but had not experienced herself—until now.

But Jaune steeled himself as he continued: "It's just...I'm worried...it's still so, _soon,_ I guess."

Pyrrha did not smile, but she kept silent so Jaune could explain.

"You...you know that I was practically in love with Weiss. I mean, I feel like I'm starting to get over her and move on, and...and knowing that you like me, well it's amazing! But, it's...scary, too. I've never gone out with...such a close friend...before."

Pyrrha hugged him tightly, and in spite of his hesitance, Jaune returned the hug with the same vigor.

"Neither have I, Jaune. I...I'm a bit scared, too." Pyrrha looked up at Jaune. "I know that you are still working through some of your feelings. To be honest, so am I...I was ready to give up on you, and a part of me is still a bit hurt even now. I just want you to be...happy."

"...I feel pretty happy right now. More than I've felt in a while, Pyrrha."

The two simply held one another under the night sky. There was no passionate kiss, no grand romantic gestures or blubbering confessions of love. Just two close friends with wounded hearts, that were taking a huge risk in daring to become more.

"So, where do we go from here?" Jaune asked softly.

"What do you mean,?" Pyrrha asked back.

"I mean, _us_. You liking me and...me liking you." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "What's going to happen, now?"

"...I...I'm really not sure." Pyrrha was still giddy, but she had to admit: she had no clue what to do. She had had crushes before, but Pyrrha had never liked anyone—let alone her best friend—quite like this. It was exciting and frightening at the same time.

"I guess we'll take this one step at a time. I kind of want to jump into everything all at once, but I know you..._we,_ need to take it slow." She smiled sweetly.

"Heh. But, are we even...allowed to date each other? I mean, we're partners for one thing. And we...live together..." Jaune suddenly felt hot. _"Did _nobody_ at Beacon wonder if putting young boys and girls in the same rooms was a bad idea?"_ he thought.

Pyrrha chuckled, "I don't think Beacon has any rules saying we can't date. And my parents raised me to be a good girl, so you don't have to worry about any monkey-business in our dorm." She playfully shrugged and smirked at Jaune. "Though I can't speak for what _you _might do..."

Jaune was close enough to Pyrrha to feel the thin but sensuous layer of soft, feminine fat that lay just under her skin, covering her toned muscles; it made her body both hard and soft, curvy, like she was built to either fight or cuddle at a moment's whim. It was a different way of thinking about his partner, Jaune realized. Scary, but enticing.

His sensual train of thought was interrupted by Pyrrha taking Jaune's hand and resuming their journey. "Come on, we still need to get home." Her own mind was preoccupied with thoughts of snuggling up with her partner back at their dorm. She quickened her pace, wanting nothing more than to be at home right then and there.

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><p><strong>Fluffy nonsense like this is easier for me to write than action, but I hope to make the next story more along the lines of what RWBY actually is: action-packed dramedy. Hope you enjoyed this first chapter, nonetheless.<strong>

** Please Read, Review, and recommend, if you liked this. Your comments are both welcome and important, as I otherwise have to rely solely on myself for editing. Thank you all!**


	2. A JNPR public service announcement

** Pyrrha and Jaune are tired of all the crack-pairings and fanfics where one of them dies a tragic death; they are here to set the record straight. It's totally Jaune and Pyrrha, not me ;)**

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><p>P: Hello again! I'm Pyrrha Nikos from the animated web-series "RWBY"<p>

J: And I'm Jaune Arc from the same show.

P: We are really very appreciative of our fans, and are both touched and impressed at the ever-growing collection of fan-created works of fiction-

J: Or "fanfics"-

P: -that have been written since "RWBY" was announced.

J: But at the same time, we've noticed some disturbing trends in these fanfics—particularly the ones that, ahem, "pair" me with other cast members.

P: We're not even talking about all the dirty ones. You already know you should be ashamed of yourselves for that!

J: No, we're specifically talking about the so-called "crack pairings".

P: Right.

J: When the show first began, I was typically paired with Ruby, for fairly obvious-if-boring reasons. I was the first male character that was not either a villain or so much older than Ruby that it would be considered statutory rape in most states. She and I became friends real quick, and there's the obvious "female lead meets male lead" thing too.

P: Even though Jaune and Ruby shared very little actual dialogue and none of it really implied a romantic connection, this pairing at least made some sort of sense. Even if it was as dull as dishwater.

J: Right. Then when I met Weiss and Pyrrha, again the pairings at least had a kind of plausibility. Weiss is my first crush on the show, and Pyrrha is my partner and was totally into me from the get-go.

P: Even though Jaune completely failed to realize it...

J: Hmm?

P: Nothing.

J: Anyways, a strange thing started to happen as the show went on: as more and more cast members were introduced, you all started hooking me up with, well...ALL of them!

P: And while I'd like to say it was just Jaune that you did this to, it unfortunately wasn't. Pretty much everyone on "RWBY", myself included, has ended up dating everyone else on the show thanks to your fanfics.

J: Right. Whether or not the people you paired us with shared any sort of chemistry, attraction, or on-screen history with us whatsoever, you paired us with them.

P: You paired me with Blake. Like, a LOT. Where...where did that even _come_ _from_? She and I have yet to even share a line of dialogue on the show!

J: Yeah, I'm paired with Blake a lot too. Maybe it's the whole, "our voice actors are dating" thing, and you all might think you're being clever pairing me with Blake because of it, but seriously: she and I are hardly ever on screen together, and never once has either of us been shown to be attracted to one another.

P: I've been paired with Yang a bunch, for some reason. Again, not a lot of interaction between us.

J: Ditto. The Yang one makes no sense, my footie pajamas clearly ruined any chance of that ever happening. And what's with hooking me up with Velvet? She's showed up about as often as those goth twins, and I haven't shared dialogue with _any_ of them! But that didn't prevent me from getting paired with all three multiple times.

P: You all have paired me with Weiss a whole bunch of times. And even Ruby, occasionally. Nora too...for the record, I'm not gay.

J: Yeah, me neither! It's established on the show that I like girls! So what's with the "Jaune and Ren" or worse, "Jaune and Cardin" pairings!? They don't have any basis whatsoever!

P: I mean, you could have at least paired _me_ with guys a little more...I get that some of you may prefer that Jaune end up with Weiss or Ruby instead of me**, **but you don't have to change my sexual orientation to do it! Or worse, kill me off!

J: Yeah, that brings up another thing: what's with all the character death?

P: Especially involving ME!?

J: Hey, and _me_! Seriously, though, we get that "Attack on Titan" and "Madoka Magica" are big things to you all, but just because "RWBY" is an anime-

P: -sort of-

J: -it doesn't mean it has to get all depressing and dark! Granted, any good series incorporates more mature themes and story lines as it progresses to show how it's characters and settings are developing. But it doesn't mean that a somewhat weaker, less skilled character like myself is instantly marked for death!

P: Nor should it mean that incredibly powerful and unbeatable characters, such as me, are doomed to die either!

J: ...You _are_ based on Achilles, though. The "Warrior of Grief." Doesn't seem to bode well.

P: Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

J: Touche.

P: I'm not done! Red Riding-hood was eaten alive in the original fairytale. Goldilocks too. Snow White and Belle may have survived but only after severely traumatic events, and don't even get me started on Thor, Mulan, or even the great Oz, for that matter. If you applied the same sort of "logic" to the rest of the cast of "RWBY" that you did to Jaune and me, then we're all pretty much dead already.

J: Yeah! Have a heart guys!

P: Especially when it comes to tragic-romance fanfics of me and Jaune, where one of us—mostly me—dies!

J: It's almost to the point that when—uh, _if—_Pyrrha does die on the show-

P: Wait, what?

J: -it won't have any meaning or impact. Because you guys will have already killed her off after saving me, confessing her love to me, _whatever_, dozens and dozens of times!

P: Jaune and I are not even the focus of the show; the fact that we even get a romantic subplot should make you all happy, not determined to see it end in the most heart-breaking ways possible!

J: Wait, we have a romantic subplot?

P: Oh, for...YES! Name any _other_ characters you share a musical leitmotif with on the show!

J: ...okay I'm drawing a blank. Huh.

P: Basically, you all should enjoy the show as it is, not try to make it darker or deeper or dirtier than it was intended to be. And really, stop killing me off! It's seriously not funny, guys!

J: You know, Pyrrha...maybe we are taking this too personally? I mean, the whole idea of writing fanfics is that they are a labor of love and creativity, you know?

P: What do you mean?

J: Fanfics exist because each writer has enjoyed the show and its characters so much, that they want to contribute to it in some way. And the very fact that what they write are _fanfics_—fiction created by fans—means that they are free to be as independent from the show as they want.

P: Hmm, that does make sense. Some writers might like to conform as closely to the established stories and characters as possible, while others like to experiment with bold new takes on the world of "RWBY" and its inhabitants.

J: So, even though we'll all have different preferences, liking some kinds of fanfics—and some pairings—more than others, that doesn't make any of the others less valid.

P: You're right, Jaune. What happens on "RWBY" might take precedence over what happens in fanfics, but that doesn't mean the fans might not want to play around with "what-if's" and other spins on what the show has established.

J: Yep. So, though I might despise it when you fans pair me with characters I hate or hardly know, or characters that are tertiary at best, or characters that don't even really exist and are terribly written...well, that's your prerogative!

P: Fanfics give you the freedom to ignore the obvious relationships the show's creators have painstakingly crafted, letting you indulge in whatever nonsensical, immature fantasies you have about me and the all-female relationships you put me in.

J: You can even kill me off for a cheap attempt at drama, even though the tone of the show is completely different from what you intend to write!

P: When you are writing stories based off a show about teenagers with gun-scythes, monster-hunting junior colleges and dogs that fit into cardboard tubes, you really can't let anyone tell you your writing makes no sense!

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><p><strong>Yes, I had waaaaaaaaaay more fun writing that than I should have. Please, please PLEASE take this with a dash of salted humor and irony—I'm just like you guys, after all, just as guilty! Still, it was fun to use my OTP as a proxy to rant and rave about some of the stuff I've seen in the RWBY fandom that makes me go "wtf?" <strong>

** I love you all and your amazing, if at times quirky, writing! Thanks so much to all that fallowed, faved, and reviewed already. This has been so much fun, I'll be sure to keep going!**


	3. Lunchtime Meeting part 1

** The premise of this short-story is that Pyrrha ended up going to Haven Academy, in her native Mistral, rather than Beacon; I sketched Pyrrha in one of those sweet Haven Academy uniforms one day and there you go (check out the cover image). In this story Jaune never made it through his Beacon initiation, but he was given the chance to re-apply to Beacon the following year and has busied himself training. The two meet for the first time after Pyrrha comes with the other Haven students to partake in the Vytal Festival.**

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><p><em>Lunch time<em>—ever since coming to Beacon for the student exchange, it had become Pyrrha's favorite time of day. Not because she particularly liked lunch, mind you, but for another reason: it gave her a chance to get away from all of the other Haven students. Away from the eyes that saw only Pyrrha the invincible champion, not Pyrrha the lonely seventeen-year-old. Lunchtime let Pyrrha get away from her own _teammates_.

Pyrrha Nikos felt a twinge of guilt; she couldn't help it, as her gentle heart was not usually inclined to disappointing others (unless they were awful jerks and had it coming). Her teammates were not jerks, they simply had fallen into the same pattern most of Pyrrha's peers had for the past four years: they were too busy being her _fans_ to really be her friends.

Pyrrha's scroll went off with a _ding-ding! _prompting her to sigh. "Oh, for crying out..." she muttered, seeing it was a text message from one of her teammates.

"WHN R U COMIN BCK?" the message read. "WE FOUND A BLOGGER THAT WANTS TO INTERVIEW U!" There were several other messages, unread, from the same sender (plus a few from her other teammates.) Pyrrha didn't reply. It was _her_ lunch hour, _her_ time to be around the students of Beacon, amongst whom she still was relatively anonymous. It was Pyrrha's time to relax, to _not_ be a celebrity, and...to indulge in her guilty pleasure.

Unzipping her bag, Pyrrha pulled out her recently-purchased copy of the latest _X-Ray and Vav_. Sure, she knew she'd devour the whole thing in like, ten minutes, but Pyrrha had been looking forward to this issue—and to reading it away from teammates that were shocked that _she_ of all people would read something like that.

Only a page-and-a-half in, though, Pyrrha was disturbed from her reading by the sound of metal swooshing through the air, followed by a series of grunts. She looked up to see a boy around her age standing just a bit away from where she sat, trying to perform a basic sword routine. Keyword: _trying_.

Pyrrha was a humble person, she knew that she had been blessed with many gifts when it came to fighting. So she tended not to look down upon those that were less-talented or less-skilled than her, so long as they at least made an effort. The boy, who had a head of straggly blonde hair and the blue-est blue eyes Pyrrha had ever seen, was trying hard at his routine, but his actual skill with the sword was severely lacking. The blond boy glanced around nervously from time to time, plainly self-conscious of his poor skills, and so Pyrrha tried to focus on her comic book.

Still, though, the blond kept drawing Pyrrha's attention. She couldn't exactly figure out why; he was cute (in a dorky sort of way), but not what most girls Pyrrha's age would consider to be hot. And clearly he wasn't a student from Beacon or any of the visiting schools: he wore no uniform, his attire was just a simple black hoodie and some jeans, and then...there was his appalling swordplay. But something about him, something seemingly below the surface of this adorkable mess, demanded Pyrrha's attention. She finally put aside her comic and watched the boy practice.

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><p><em>Lunch time<em>—ever since nearly breaking his neck in a free-fall, passing out, miraculously surviving a night (_while unconscious_) in the woods surrounded by hungry monsters, being rescued by a team of schoolgirls the next morning, and then being politely kicked-out of Beacon...well, since all of _that_, lunch time had become Jaune's favorite time of day.

Jaune Arc was not going to let something like failing his initiation test in the most soul-crushingly embarrassing way possible stop him! By all accounts he should be dead now—the cooky old headmaster had explained to him that it truly was a _miracle_ that Jaune survived his lack of a "landing strategy", let alone a night out in the Emerald Forest while comatose and defenseless. Though he had been forced to dismiss Jaune from the school, the headmaster had smiled at him.

_"Considering that most applicants who fail their initiation wind up _dead_, I think you deserve another opportunity,"_ the headmaster had spoken casually as he sipped his coffee. _"I would like to see you apply again next year, Mr Arc. I'm pretty sure your _transcripts_ will be just as impressive next time around."_ Jaune suppressed a shudder as he recalled how the man had emphasized the word "transcripts." Like he had _known_.

_"Heh, well,"_ Jaune thought as he swung his ancestral sword, _"fake transcripts or no, he _did_ say I should apply again!"_ He swung his sword again and again, trying to replicate the routine he had seen some Beacon students perform just half-an-hour earlier. Lunch time was when Jaune got to see the huntsmen-in-training practice out in public; as he had only been a Beacon student for a single day, Jaune was not permitted into the classrooms of the academy. But many students used lunch time to hone their skills as huntsmen, and Jaune would rush to the public areas of Beacon's campus to observe them, hoping to glean what he could from their efforts.

That was why lunch time was his favorite: it reminded Jaune that in spite of his many, many shortcomings, his lack of combat skill and coordination, and how he generally just failed at life, that he could always pick himself up and try again. Jaune had been spending his lunches this way for an entire semester—he had even gotten to meet up with that Ruby girl he was kind-of friends with a few times—and Jaune felt that already he was miles ahead of where he was before.

When he nearly stabbed himself in the foot, Jaune gulped and paused for a moment. He still had miles and miles more to go, it seemed. He sighed, wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around, still self-conscious of practicing out in public. No one had made fun of his pitiful abilities yet—in fact most everyone tended to ignore him—but Jaune still was nervous when he practiced. He did see a redheaded girl in a black uniform sitting on a nearby bench, but she seemed to be busy reading.  
>Resuming his routine, Jaune began to grow frustrated: he still couldn't quite perform the routine the way he saw the Beacon students do it.<p>

"Grrrr, what am I doing wrong? What is wrong with me?!" he wondered aloud. To Jaune's surprise, though, a pleasant voice answered him:

"Your stance needs to be lower..."

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><p><strong> Sorry, had to break this up into two parts so I'd have something for you all this week; I'll post the rest next Thursday. Also I know I said I wanted to do more action stories, but<strong>_** they're hard to write!**_** I've got a couple in the works right now, so please be patient!**

** Please read, review, and follow if you enjoyed what I've done so far. Thanks!**


	4. Lunchtime Meeting part 2

**Happy RWBY Day! Just one episode left for this volume!**

** So, I'm currently writing and illustrating an original comic story called "Black Unicorn." It is being published in a magazine called Stinkwaves and you should check it out. Stinkwaves will be FREE this weekend on Amazon Kindle, so please take a look! **

** Anyways, as promised here is part two of "Lunchtime Meeting." Enjoy!**

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><p>Jaune just stared at Pyrrha for a moment. "...Wha?"<p>

Pyrrha had tried to let the boy alone, but seeing him struggle so valiantly and not make any progress had tugged at her heart.

"Your stance," she explained, "it should be lower and closer to the ground. Think of a good stance as the foundation of your strikes." To Pyrrha's silent delight, Jaune moved to follow her advice.

"Uh, like this?" he asked after spreading his feet apart and all-but crouching. Pyrrha tried (and failed!) to repress a giggle; he looked more ready to lay and egg than to swing a sword!

Standing up, Pyrrha walked over to Jaune. "More like this, actually," she demonstrated, adopting a basic but strong ready-stance, wielding her "X-Ray and Vav" comic like a sword.. The blond mimicked her, and Pyrrha smiled. "That's it. Now try swinging your sword."

Trying a few practice swings, Jaune gave Pyrrha a sheepish grin. "That's, uh, that feels a lot better. Thanks."

Pyrrha offered a gentle smile. "Don't mention it. Getting your footwork right is the foundation for combat; you should practice moving around and getting back into a good stance before attempting something more advanced."

"Oh. Okay." Jaune took a few more swings. Seeing the blond get back to his routine, Pyrrha figured their exchange was over. _"Ah, well, it was nice while it lasted,"_ she thought, turning to resume her lunch in solitude.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune called. Pyrrha turned, (pleasantly) surprised.

"Hmm?"

"Uhh..." Jaune struggled for something to say, having expended all of his courage and most of his brain-power in a bid to keep talking to the nice, pretty girl. _"She's cute,"_ Jaune thought to himself, _"a bit tall, I usually go for shorter girls. And she's clearly in_ waaaaay _better shape than I am, but still. Kinda hot."_

"Th-that's a Haven uniform, right?" He gestured to Pyrrha's predominantly-black outfit.

"Yes, it is," replied Pyrrha.

"So, you're...from...Haven?" _Smooth._

Pyrrha chuckled, crossing her arms, "My, what keen deductive powers you have...um..."

"Oh...it's Jaune. Jaune Arc, short and sweet I always say!"

More giggles from the redhead. _He's funny_. "I'm Pyrrha. Nice to meet you, Jaune."

"Likewise," said the blonde.

Okay, so maybe this Jaune guy wasn't the smoothest boy Pyrrha ever met, or even the hottest. But the redhead found herself drawn to him for some reason. _"Maybe..because he's just treating me like any other regular girl?" _

"Say, uh," began Jaune, a quizzical look on his face, "don't I know you from somewhere?"

"_Oh...oh no,"_ thought Pyrrha. "Um, I don't think so..." She kept smiling, but shifted her feet nervously. "_Please, not him too! Don't let him recognize me!"_

Jaune scratched his head. "Yeah, I could've sworn I've seen you somewhere. Like...at breakfast..."

"...breakfast...?"

"It's like, I think I've seen you at breakfast...somewhere." Jaune shrugged. "Ah, forget it. Maybe you're just reminding me of someone."

_Phew! _"I..I get that a lot, actually. Um, I just have one of those faces, I guess?" Pyrrha offered, simply glad that Jaune was blissfully unaware that he was in the presence of a celebrity.

Jaune was clearly a tad embarrassed now, though he was trying to re-muster his confidence. _"Dad always said, 'confidence is the key'! Or was it '_memory_ is the key'...I can't remember..."_

"You're here for the Vytal Festival, right?" Jaune asked. Again, the answer was pretty obvious, but it was all he had at the moment.

Luckily for Jaune, Pyrrha was enjoying being able to just _talk_ to someone like a normal person. Well, a _normal-ish_ person_. _

"Yes, I'm going to compete in the Tournament. Besides that, I wanted the chance to visit Beacon."

"Oh, why's that?"

"Well, Beacon was actually my first choice of school, but I ended up having to stay closer to home." Pyrrha smiled as she looked around at the school campus. "It's nice to see what I missed out on, at least."

Jaune nodded, following Pyrrha's gaze around the school grounds. "I'm going to apply again, next year. To Beacon, I mean."

Pyrrha arched an eyebrow. "Apply _again_?"

"Yeah...um..." Jaune looked down in embarrassment, and Pyrrha realized that though she and Jaune seemed to be getting along, they had just met; he probably didn't want to share _everything_ with her.

" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Jaune waved his hand. "I mean, you could...probably tell that I'm not a Beacon student, right? At least, I'm not anymore..."

Now Pyrrha was _truly_ intrigued, social boundaries be damned: "What to you mean, 'not anymore'?"

"I...I was accepted into Beacon at the start of the year. But, I didn't pass my initiation test. I...I'm a washout."

Pyrrha stared in shock. "Jaune, from what I understand, you don't simply 'fail' initiation—you _die_. How...how did you even...?"

"Eh, it's a long story. Let's just say that because I'm still breathing and have all my limbs, the headmaster said I could try again next year. And this time, I'll be sure to have a landing-strategy!Whatever that is..." Jaune swung his sword through the air, as Pyrrha just looked at him.

_"There _is_ something special about him,"_ Pyrrha thought. Try as she did, though, she couldn't put her finger on it. She _did_ sense a large amount of aura emanating from him—it came out in pulses, as if his aura had been instinctively unlocked during a traumatic event, _like a nearly-fatal fall, _rather than in the "proper" way.

But even beyond his aura, there was _something_ about Jaune that kept demanding Pyrrha's attention. Was it physical attraction? Maybe...he wasn't bad looking, for sure. But he wasn't anything special when it came to looks, except for maybe those blue eyes. Was it because he didn't recognize her? Well, Jaune would probably figure out who Pyrrha was the next time he poured himself a bowl of marshmallow flakes; it went even further than that. Maybe it was simply because, in spite of their differences in ability, talent, or social standing, Jaune was treating Pyrrha like a person. An _equal_.

No, it had less to do with the physical and more the spiritual. Though Pyrrha had a...manipulative...approach to the concept of fate, she sensed a potential for greatness in Jaune. A destiny that deserved a chance to be realized.

"Jaune," Pyrrha began, "have you considered finding a tutor?"

"Huh?"

"I know you can't really ask the Beacon staff for help, but there are lots of personal combat instructors available out there."

"You...you think I need help that badly?"

"No! I...I just meant-"

"Heh, I know what you mean, Pyrrha, don't worry about it," Jaune said with a laugh. "Believe me, falling face-first through some spruces, a few pines and a sturdy oak sure cured me of thinking I had to make it entirely on my own. I'd take help if anyone offered it."

"Oh, well," Pyrrha began, her face glowing with the slightest blush, "if you'd like, I could teach you a few things? Maybe train together with you?"

Jaune couldn't believe his ears. "R-really? You'd help me become a better fighter?"

The redhead grinned and nodded, "Sure! I know a nice quiet place near where the Haven students are staying, we could go there to train. It'd be just you and me, no one to bother us." Pyrrha said, hoping her intentions were subtle, but not _too_ subtle.

Jaune looked at Pyrrha; he was just _sure_ he recognized her from somewhere! _"Why does breakfast cereal keep coming to mind?"_ Jaune shook it off; Pyrrha certainly was one of the nicest people he had met...and she apparently liked the same comic books that he did...and she seemed to know what she was talking about...and she _was_ pretty danged cute. Maybe she wasn't the petite, delicate girly-girl Jaune was usually attracted to, but Pyrrha sure did have a kind of allure.

"Yeah...yeah, I'd like that."

"Here," Pyrrha said, taking her scroll out, "I should probably get going, so lemme give you my number."

Placing the two devices together, Pyrrha's contact info was instantly transferred to Jaune's own scroll. He took a look at the seven digits (plus regional code) that were displayed next to Pyrrha's smiling face.

"Wow, girl number..." Jaune said dreamily. Pyrrha rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Just give me a call sometime soon, okay Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. She waved as she began to leave.

"Yeah," said Jaune as he waved back. Taking another look at the pretty face next to the number on his scroll, he grinned. "Yeah, _definitely_!"

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><p><strong>I can imagine this Jaune's reaction when he has his cereal the next morning :) I hope the conclusion didn't feel rushed. Send me a PM if you have any good ideas on how to improve this story, I personally have difficulties writing conclusions and am open to suggestions as to how to improve this or any other stories I've done.<strong>

** Please review and favorite & follow, too! And thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Warmth

**This story was inspired by the _RWBY: Henceforward_ AU by Kuma; if you are not familiar with it I highly recommend you check it out, but I'll provide some set-up for those not in the know: Pyrrha was grievously injured while saving Jaune's life; she lost the use of her semblance and has been bedridden ever since. Jaune works doubly hard trying to help rebuild the world of Remnant, manage his team, and take care of his partner; his devotion to Pyrrha in the _Henceforward_ comic is quite touching. **

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><p>Warmth<p>

Winter had come to Vytal; along the north coast of the continent the inhabitants yearly experienced "Atlas's kiss"-the time of year when the frost and snow so blanketed the land that it came to resemble that of their neighbor to the north.

Vale and its surrounding villages could cope with the cold, but out in the numerous refugee camps, winter was especially hard. Though they were in charge of the camps, Team JNPR—no, team JNR—had to make do with simple wood-fire stoves and blankets like everyone else. Being big-damn-heroes didn't mean a comfortable life, as it turned out.

Apparently, as Jaune Arc had found out some time ago, being a hero also meant doing tons and tons of paperwork. Now _that_ certainly was a detail that no one had bothered to mention to him when he was a student at Beacon, but as team JNR was in charge of this and every other refugee camp in the norther segment of the continent, Jaune kept at it even into the wee hours of the night. He had grown used to working late, with only the light from a dust-lamp, a small wood stove, and the company of his partner as he worked through the cold, dark hours.

Looking up from where he sat, Jaune saw Pyrrha asleep on her bed. So far, Pyrrha had not awaken in pain like she often did. She seemed to be having an easy night.

_"Good,"_ Jaune thought to himself. It was heartbreaking to see the beautiful amazon suffer the she had been for years now, so when Pyrrha had a good night's rest, so did Jaune, whether he was sleeping or not.

The light from the dust-lamp illuminated the documents on Jaune's lap: various requests for travel visas, petitions for additional food or supplies, missing person forms, and so on. All of it was just as boring as it sounded, but Jaune was almost done with the night's work load. It had gotten colder, and so Jaune set his papers aside to throw more wood on the stove.

He glanced over again at the sleeping figure; Pyrrha's hand was close by the bedside, and Jaune resisted the temptation to walk over and grasp it, lest he disturb her sleep. If Pyrrha woke up she'd probably ask if she could help with Jaune's work in some way, even though she had lost her sight. That's just the kind of person Pyrrha was, and always would be, it seemed.

_"Which makes it all the more difficult to see her like this,"_ Jaune thought. His partner had been strong, brave, selfless, and simply amazing—everything Jaune had thought a hero was, and everything he wanted to be himself. She had been beautiful—no, Pyrrha _still_ was beautiful, though her illness had tried to diminish it. Pyrrha had been like a goddess of battle and victory, a young woman with a bright future.

Until her future was stolen from her on "that day"—all because Jaune had been too weak, too helpless to protect himself. Pyrrha had saved him, and as her reward she had been exposed to the virus that the White Fang terrorists released on "that day". Like all of the virus's victims Pyrrha's aura had gone wild; she lost her semblance, then her body was ravaged, unable to heal itself. Now...now she was like this: just another casualty in a camp, rather than the glorious heroine she was and should have been.

Jaune was shaken out of his thoughts by the faint sound of a shuddering breath. He looked over at Pyrrha and saw that she was awake and shivering, her breath visible in the dim light.

"Hey, you doing okay?" he asked softly.

"..." Pyrrha struggled to find her voice. "c-c-cold..." she said faintly.

Jaune came to her and gently took her hand in his own. "Oh Pyrrha, you feel like ice!" he whispered. "Do you want me to make you some tea?"

"n...no...thank you." The redhead was still shivering, but she managed a weak smile.

"Well, I gotta warm you up somehow..." Jaune thought for a moment. Pyrrha pretty much had every blanket already on her, so that wasn't a solution. The refugee camp that they occupied had few luxuries and indoor heating was not among them.

So, with no other options, Jaune carefully sat next to Pyrrha and slowly lowered himself next to her, taking the redhead into his arms. Pyrrha gasped, partly in pain, partly in pleasant surprise, as the warmth of her partner enveloped her.

Jaune gingerly wrapped his arms around Pyrrha, trying not to wince as he did so. The girl's once strong body had grown so thin and frail. Her skin was cold to the touch, so Jaune carefully rubbed Pyrrha's arms and shoulders, trying to warm her up. Jaune knew that because of her condition, he ran the risk of injuring Pyrrha even further by sharing her bed like this. But after a few moments, Pyrrha had stopped shivering. Her body relaxed and she settled into Jaune's arms, resting her head on his chest.

"...you're...so warm..." Pyrrha whispered. Even through the thick fabric of his shirt, Jaune could feel his partner smile. It was infectious, her smile, always had been. Even in the midst of Pyrrha's infirmity her smile filled Jaune with warmth and light. It filled him with _hope_.

Laying with his back the bed, Jaune cradled Pyrrha in his arms, gingerly rubbing warmth back into her chilled limbs. To think, just a few years ago, Jaune would have balked at the prospect of sharing a bed with Pyrrha, even for something as innocent as this. Now it just felt so...natural. His partner was beginning to drift back to sleep, so Jaune moved to let Pyrrha back down, gently.

The redhead huddled closer into him though, and Jaune relented. "So that's how it's gonna be tonight, ehh?" he chuckled. Pyrrha giggled, though it was faint. Jaune could tell that she was in pain again, though she was doing her best to keep it in check.

Jaune's smile faded. He wished that he could simply drift off to sleep with Pyrrha in his arms—it was a bitter irony that now, after having been ignorant of her affections for him for so long, that Jaune so desperately wished that he could be more than just Pyrrha's friend and partner. As much as Jaune and Pyrrha desired a physical relationship with each other, it could not be. There was no cure for her condition, not that Jaune and the rest of his team had given up trying to find one. But for now, all he could do was simply wait, and so Jaune waited until the redhead had fallen back into a deep sleep, before he carefully slipped out of her bed.

Just as he was going to head back to his chair though, Jaune felt Pyrrha grab his hand. Even in sleep, even in sickness, she had such a firm grip! Jaune knelt at the foot of Pyrrha's bed, his hand in hers, and smiled as he watched her sleep. Pyrrha's hand had grown warm again, and it felt like her warmth was flowing up Jaune's arm and all around his body. Jaune propped his head up with his other arm, feeling drowsiness starting to claim him; he'd wake up with aching knees and a sore neck and back from sleeping at the foot of Pyrrha's bed, but he didn't care. As long as Pyrrha got good night's rest, so would Jaune.

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><p><strong>I was aiming for da feelz with this one. Seeing someone we care about suffer is hard, but love is shown in how we care for the infirm and how we stay by the sides of our special ones in their times of need.<strong>

**This is an apology for not updating last week. Things are busy, what with me getting married in like nine weeks, so I might have to aim for a bi-weekly update schedule (and I don't want to do that thing where I update and you get all excited but it's really me saying "sorry, no new chapter yet!") On the upside, I plan to have ANOTHER chapter for you tomorrow, so thanks for hanging in there! Please read and review, and send me more prompts! I've got stories lined up for each of the prompts I've been given (I just wanted to get my original ideas out of the way first) so stay tuned!**


	6. She Promised

**First action story! This was ****not**** easy to write, but I hope you enjoy it! Setting is post vol. 2, thinking maybe after the Tournament; Mercury is sent to start crossing names off of Cinder's list, and Jaune and Pyrrha are his targets.  
><strong>

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><p>She Promised<p>

_ Just you and your opponent. Nothing else matters in a fight; you must block out everything else, every distraction around you. Just you and your opponent. That's all that matters._

That was the mantra Pyrrha had drilled into her mind. Focus solely on the fight and you will have a better chance of winning. That way of thinking was one of many the things that had contributed to Pyrrha's successful career in the arena. It had even been a valuable tool to use against the creatures of Grimm.

But it was _wrong_. Pyrrha's mantra didn't take the lives of the people around her into consideration. The safety and well-being of the ones she cared about were not included in that way of thinking.

Pyrrha looked across at Jaune. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he looked like he was barely staying conscious, but he still held his sword and shield up at the ready. Mercury had been merciless, exploiting every mistake Jaune made, taking full advantage of the young man's inexperience in their atrociously one-sided fight. Pyrrha had tried so, _so_ _hard_, to protect Jaune, but Mercury had planned for that—no, he had _counted_ on it.

The quicksilver-haired man had masterfully kept Jaune between himself and Pyrrha, striking at the amazon just often enough to break her concentration. She had been able to do _nothing_ to move her partner out of the way of Mercury's strikes with her semblance, unable to touch Jaune or Mercury and unable to focus long enough to do it remotely. Every time she moved in to cut Mercury down, he had spun her partner in the path of Pyrrha's weapon instead.

Jaune Arc had talent. _Potential_. Though he had never trained for combat before coming to Beacon, under Pyrrha's guidance Jaune had learned, and he learned quickly. In two short semesters he had mastered the basics of fighting with a sword and shield, and though Jaune still had not learned to fully control his semblance, Pyrrha knew he would some day become a great warrior.

_If_ Jaune survived this fight, that is.

"Better, blondie, better!" cooed Mercury as Jaune missed him again. "Oh! I think you nicked me that time!" Jaune was too hurt and exhausted to show his frustration, but he had grown more sloppy as the fight took its toll. Slashing in a wide arc, Jaune left himself open to several kicks from Mercury; he over-committed his retaliatory swing, and was knocked in the head.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled, but Mercury had grabbed the aspiring Huntsman by the drawstrings of his hoodie and swung him into Pyrrha's path again. The two partners collided, and Pyrrha had no choice but to thrown both herself and Jaune out of the way of a lethal roundhouse kick from their opponent.

Pyrrha got up quickly, but Jaune was struggling to rise; before she could help him, Mercury kicked Jaune across the jaw, all-but knocking him out. Jaune had fought as hard as he ever could, had put his all into protecting himself and Pyrrha. He had talent, but in terms of actual experience he was simply outmatched. Now he was on the ground, and Pyrrha was left to face Mercury alone.

* * *

><p>"Well, he's got spirit, gotta give him that," Mercury said. He cracked his neck and casually stretched his arms out.<p>

"More than you," Pyrrha spat as she shifted her spear _Milo_ to it's sword form. "At least Jaune never gives up on a fight without trying his hardest."

"Oh-ho! Still sore about our little game back then? Trust me, cutie, things will be different this time!"

Mercury jumped at Pyrrha, expecting the warrior-girl to try to block his powerful kick with her shield. Pyrrha instead slid under Mercury, aiming her sword at his exposed backside. Mercury's eyes went wide, but he caught her attack in time, sending a shotgun-blast towards Pyrrha before he landed, following up with a flurry of quick kicks and punches.

Pyrrha's opponent hadn't been lying: his actual fighting prowess was much greater than what he had shown in their practice duel long ago. But Pyrrha had grown since then; never one to rest on her laurels, the champion had pushed herself each day to become better and better. She met Mercury's attacks with a lightning-fast group of her own, hitting him in the stomach with the hilt of her sword and cuffing him across his smug jaw.

Taking a moment to rub his chin, Mercury nodded at Pyrrha. "Well, you certainly don't disappoint, miss four-time champion. You really _are_ a world-class fighter."

"And _you're_ just another opponent to me," Pyrrha growled as she readied herself again. "Just another _victory_ under my belt."

Mercury whistled, smiling as he took his stance. "Now _that's_ what I like to hear. Let's see if fate really favors you today, then."

With a casual tap of his heels Mercury ejected the dust ammunition from his boots; he quickly replaced them with a new set of dust crystals that crackled with a faint blue energy.

Pyrrha charged, her first thrust missing Mercury by mere millimeters; the quicksilver-haired man snap-kicked at her, and Pyrrha caught the strike on her shield. Smirking, Mercury fired off a round, and Pyrrha gasped as electricity surged through her shield, then along her arm. She pushed at her opponent then hopped back, wincing as the electricity dissipated.

Luckily, in spite of the momentary discomfort, Pyrrha could still move her shield-arm. As Mercury kicked at her again, Pyrrha readied her semblance to move his metal-clad feet away—only to find that she could not. The kick landed, nearly knocking _Milo_ out of Pyrrha's hand. She panicked for a moment, then dodged and tumbled away from Mercury's follow-up.

"Neat, huh?" Mercury smiled as he stomped his feet, sending wispy arcs of power along the ground beneath him. "Electromagnetic-pulse dust, custom-made. Has a nice lil' way of screwing with those magnetic fields you like to play with. Stings like a mother, too."

Pyrrha could still manipulate polarity, but as she extended her influence over magnetism she found it all garbled, like a stick twisting up a spider's web. She could not exert the fine control over the fields that she normally could, which was bad. Very, _very_ bad.

Mercury pressed his momentary advantage, smiling as more and more of his strikes connected with Pyrrha; they were not really doing any damage—yet—and his own cockiness was still trying to get him killed: Mercury barely dodged a sword-swipe to his neck. Pyrrha relied on her semblance a lot, but it did not change the fact that she was a master swordswoman and experienced fighter; she would not go down easily at all.

Still, Mercury had pretty much neutralized the Invincible Girl's source of invulnerability. Plus, with the blonde kid down and out, Mercury had Pyrrha on the defensive, on two fronts no less. Her defeat was only a matter of time...

* * *

><p>Sweat poured from Pyrrha's brow, her breath becoming ragged gasps as the exertion from protecting both herself and her wounded partner took its toll. She had been holding her own, in spite of her semblance being neutralized. In a tournament battle, even without her semblance aiding her, Pyrrha probably could have beaten Mercury. But this was not a tournament battle; there were no rules, no safety net to protect Pyrrha or her partner, no stopping the fight once someone's aura was exhausted. Mercury was not a tournament fighter, or even a rival Huntsman.<p>

He was a _killer. _

This fight was turning into a battle of attrition; for all of Pyrrha's abilities she couldn't match Mercury's murderous intent. The man was trying to _kill_ her, and Jaune. Pyrrha had never been in a life-or-death battle with another human being before; she had always imagined that she'd find some way of keeping everyone alive, whether they were her allies or her enemies. Mercury had no such concerns, had no need or desire to keep Pyrrha alive after he bested her. What's more, Pyrrha had to focus on keeping him away from her vulnerable partner. If she didn't find some way of stopping Mercury, Jaune was doomed.

"Y'know, I was actually hoping to _not_ have to fight you again," Mercury said as he dodged another thrust. He was sweating too, but still had his annoyingly smug look. "I was just supposed to take care of blondie, there. I like taking the _easy_ jobs, after all."

Pyrrha's eye twitched, but she kept up her assault; Mercury was using an age-old trick: baiting one's opponent. She couldn't afford to give him any more advantages over her.

"My boss insisted that she'd be the one to take down the Goddess of Victory. But, I brought the dust 'cause I figured, 'who's always following the blonde kid around like a lil' lovesick schoolgirl?' Miss Invincible-pants herself, of course!"

He danced between thrusts of _Milo's_ spear-form, before grabbing a hold of the shaft, pulling Pyrrha closer to taunt her.

"I gotta ask you, does he even know? That you've like, have _totally_ got it for him? Heh, that was rhetorical, I was at the dance, remember?"

The warrior-girl roared, and Mercury knew he had struck a nerve.

"After you practically spelled it out for him, did he even wait like, one day? Or was it two, before he started chasing that Schnee girl again? God, how did that even _feel_?"

Tears had begun to well in Pyrrha's eyes, and she very-nearly stumbled with her last swing. That was it: Mercury had found Pyrrha's weak point. His savaging of Jaune had been only the appetizer, the softening-up. All the fighting skill in the world could not protect Pyrrha's _heart._

Milo flew from Pyrrha's hand as Mercury landed a solid blow to Pyrrha's ribs, throwing her across the floor. She struggled up, and Mercury wailed on her, beating through what remained of Pyrrha's aura before pinning her to the ground, his boot to the back of her neck. A burst of Mercury's EMP dust surged through Pyrrha's body, setting her nerves on fire.

The quicksilver-haired man leaned down. "Listen, between you and me, I'd rather not go through with this," whispered Mercury. "I just need _one_ body...you can make a run for it. Leave him."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out; the pain was unbearable, and as hard as she tried she could not force the tears back. Through them, she saw Jaune, staring at her, as if pleading.

Begging for her to go. To save herself.

"He's just not worth it, Pyrrha. He can't save you, can't save himself even. He doesn't even _love_ you. Just leave him."

Mercury let her go. He stood up and backed away from Pyrrha, giving her the chance to get up on her feet. "Go now, unless you want to watch him die. Gotta warn you, it won't be nice to see."

Pyrrha knew Mercury was not bluffing: he would kill Jaune in front of her if she didn't leave now. Not to simply be cruel, but because Mercury knew that he wouldn't even have to lay a finger on Pyrrha after that. It would _destroy_ her.

The young warrior-girl looked at her partner, bruised, bleeding on the ground. Jaune was struggling just to stay conscious, his good eye staring back at her. From that little glance, Pyrrha could understand what Jaune wanted to say to her:

Go. Run. Save yourself.

Pyrrha was not going to lie to herself and say that she was not afraid to die, because she truly was. Her life had been pleasant, but short, and she had so, so much more she wanted to do, to see and experience and accomplish. But even more frightening than the thought of her life ending was the thought of _his_ ending. Of those blue eyes closing forever, Jaune's smile and laughter vanishing from the world. How could she go on living knowing that she had simply let it happen?

Green eyes met blue as Pyrrha slowly got back on her feet. No matter how afraid she was, she couldn't run. She would not.

Pyrrha had made a vow to Jaune, a _promise_ to him, on the very day they became partners and friends. It may have been an archaic verse, a quaint bit of poetry passed down between Huntsmen and Huntresses over the centuries, but Pyrrha had meant every word of it when she had recited it.

_"It is in passing, that we achieve immortality."_ Pyrrha whispered to herself. _"through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all." _

She walked over and physically picked up Milo, her semblance still confused by Mercury's dust. Pyrrha glared at the quicksilver-haired man; she was not going to leave.

_"Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul..."_

"Last chance," Mercury warned. "Exit's right over there, Red. Just go, he's not worth it."

Pyrrha heard Mercury, but her gaze was fixed on Jaune.

_and by my shoulder...I protect thee..." _

Mercury sighed and shook his head. "Trust me, there'll be other guys out there, ones actually worth your time."

Pyrrha smiled at Jaune. "I...I never met anyone...worth more to me than _you_."

With lightning-speed Pyrrha readied her sword and charged at Mercury. She did not move to dodge his attack: she was going to meet it with one of her own.

Mercury smirked as his foot flew towards Pyrrha's head: this was it. It was a shame to have to ruin such a pretty face, but for Mercury, winning usually meant making a mess.

The kick landed, and there was a terrific flash of light. Mercury blinked.

Pyrrha was still alive. She was even _smiling_.

"Looks like I _am_ the Invincible Girl, after all..."

Then Mercury noticed something else: he was _falling_.

He hit the floor hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him; it took Mercury a total of four seconds to realize exactly what had happened: His leg was severed at the knee. Scratch that: _both_ legs were severed at the knee.

Jaune had managed to use his semblance to shield Pyrrha from afar: he had put what precious little aura, what tiny bit of concentration he could muster, into protecting her from Mercury's kick. Pyrrha had done the rest, cutting masterfully through both of Mercuy's legs with a single swipe of her blade.

Mercury stared dumbfounded at his useless stumps; Pyrrha had channeled enough aura into the strike to seal-up his arteries as she cut them, preventing Mercury from bleeding out. But that did nothing to stop the pain.

"Gyyyyaaaarrrghh!" Mercury screamed, as the shock of what happened mingled with the agony that finally began to register. Tears rolled down his face, as he clutched his stumps. "You! You freaking bi-"

Pyrrha knocked him out cold with a kick of her own. She then ran over to her partner.

"Jaune! Oh, God, Jaune, are you-"

"H-hey Pyr...that was...pretty cool."

She laughed as she cried. "Not as cool as using your semblance from so far away!"

"Heh, I learned from the best..."

Pyrrha held Jaune tight and kissed his brow, just so _thankful_ that he was alive. That she and him _both_ were. Throwing his arm over her shoulders, Pyrrha gingerly helped her partner to his feet.

"Let's go home..."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I'm not really a fan of Mercury, so I can't feel too bad for him. Hey, at least he's alive too, right? Now he's got a cool nickname: Stubby! Not like he can complain :)<br>**

**So, the stories I post here will kinda be all-over the place in terms of genre and tone and all that; I want to keep close to the tone of the show (it can be dark but not super-dark and depressing) hence the characters in this story got the snot beat out of them, but still pulled through. I might do one or two future stories in which either Jaune or Pyrrha have died, but I'm not really a huge fan of killing off major characters, so don't expect it. **

**Read and review, follow and favorite, please! I'm aiming for a new chapter on every-other Thursday now (more of a guideline than a rule) but thanks so much to everyone that has read and enjoyed so far!**


	7. Let's Unpack

**Back from a month(ish)-long hiatus! I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging, life has been busy. I moved to a new place, my computer is dying, I have no internet...but there is lots of good too, like getting married in a few weeks! **

** But without more ado, let's get back to OTP Addiction!**

**Toolazy2write: if you really want recommendations I think maybe something where Pyrrha gets to play with or tease Jaune would be fun, like say swimsuit or if you're feeling bold underwear shopping. Stuff almost writes itself. **

** So , I hope you'll pardon me for changing things a bit from the original prompt: I wanted to keep things somewhat innocent from Pyrrha's end, but the awkwardness will still be present :)**

** The setting is the night of initiation; the exhausted team JNPR is in their dorm and decides to unpack before turning in for the night. Please enjoy!**

Let's unpack

"I think Team RWBY's already asleep!" Nora belted as she bounced on a bed, before her old friend Ren gently grabbed the redhead's arm and forced her down.

"Lucky, lucky girls," Ren muttered. He had had way too much excitement for his initiation day, and simply wanted to go to bed.

Pyrrha looked at Ren, seeing that the circles under his eyes had grown even darker since the long day began. "Maybe they have the right idea?" she offered.

"You kidding?" asked Nora, "How can we sleep after such an exciting day?"

Casting a sympathetic glance to Ren just as he face-palmed, Pyrrha found herself having to agree with her fellow ginger: after such an amazing day, there was no way she'd be getting to sleep right now. "Well, we can at least unpack, so we'll have more time to get ready in the morning."

Jaune looked up at his new partner, and nodded. "First mission, team JNPR!

Green, Teal, and exhausted Pink eyes turned towards Jaune, who suddenly had yet _another_ wave of doubt about this whole "leadership" thing. "Uh...find a bed and, um, unpack your stuff..."

Ren took the bed next to the one Nora claimed with her jumping, leaving Jaune to share the one beside his partner. His sweet, pretty, likely-capable-of-murdering-you-if-you-try-anything partner.

_"C'mon, Jaune, it's not like you haven't slept next to a girl before,"_ he reminded himself. _"Just, think of her as sister number eight...or not, because Pyrrha's real cute and that'd be kinda messed up if we ever went out or...no, _that_ is kinda messed up! You just _met_ Pyrrha for cryin' out loud!"_

As Jaune wrestled with his teenaged hormones, Pyrrha had put her suitcases on her bed and opened them up. Her partner watched as she began to remove her personal effects: toothbrush, personal hygiene products, books, comic books, headphones adorned with her symbol and colors (_"where does everyone get those?"_), a small stuffed red boarbatusk, and a few mementos of home. Next came Pyrrha's clothes, though it was less like she unpacked and more like they exploded onto her mattress.

"Uh-oh, whoops!" said Jaune with a smile.

Pyrrha grinned sheepishly, "Guess I might have packed them too tightly." She looked down at the mess. "Hey, would you mind giving me a hand putting these away?"

Jaune blinked. "Uh..." Now, Jaune had been pressed into helping his mom and sisters fold their laundry many times. But, in spite of how he wanted to try to see his partner as just another sister...Jaune could not. "_Nope, no, she's too babeliscious for that_." Still, he could at least be a good friend...

"...sure..."

Pyrrha smiled as she and her new partner folded her clothes; Jaune was actually pretty good at it, folding her shirts, pants, shorts, socks, and even her skirts with expert speed and precision. He hummed to himself as he folded, and Pyrrha idly wondered what sort of things she and Jaune would learn about each over over the next four years. _"I already like what I've seen,"_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, Jaune stopped, and a blush began to creep upon his face.

"You alright, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, and then she saw what was in his hands.

Jaune Arc was holding what must have been the smallest, skimpiest, _naughtiest_ pair of black panties he had ever seen. He was trying to imagine how it was possible that the polite, humble, modest girl in front of him could own them, picturing her in them and _"no, no, no, NO, bad Jaune! Bad!"_

Pyrrha cleared her throat, and Jaune's trance was broken; he handed the skimpy panties to her quickly, and couldn't help but notice that the slightest blush had happened upon Pyrrha's face as well.

Despite the embarrassment, she smirked when Jaune simply whispered, "wow." Pyrrha went back to her own folding, but that was when Jaune had pulled up one of Pyrrha's more...revealing brassieres.

"Y-you don't fold these, r-r-right?" Jaune asked, avoiding his redheaded partner's eyes. As it turns out, stumbling upon the undies of an attractive young lady is waaaaaaay different from doing same with your mom and sisters' laundry.

"...no, I, um, hang them up." Pyrrha snatched her bra away, then realized that pretty much all that was left to put away was her underwear. She glanced at her partner, then the pile, back to Jaune.

"Say, why don't I finish this, and then I'll help you unpack, Jaune?"

The blonde nodded a sheepish thank-you, and proceeded to pour the contents of his duffel bag onto his mattress. Pyrrha finished putting her unmentionables away, un-burying her beloved stuffed boarbatusk "Pigsy" in the process. Holding Pigsy close, Pyrrha walked over to Jaune's bed to help him.

"Uhm, Jaune?" Pyrrha began questioningly, "did you pack _anything_ besides instant ramen and underwear?"

Jaune hunched in embarrassment, but defended the contents of his duffel bag. "H-hey, I was just packing the essentials! Beacon provides us with clothes, and I wanted to pack light!"

"But...ramen?" the redhead picked up a package. "The main ingredients are 'styrofoam' and 'salt', in that order.

Jaune took the noodle-brick from her. "Think of them as 'survival rations'!" He turned to resume folding his undies—then turned back to Pyrrha.

"Um," was all Jaune could manage, as he gingerly removed a red thong that was hanging from one of Pigsy's plush feet. He handed it back to Pyrrha, and both teens then turned a hue to match her hair, stuffed toy and racy underwear.

"...you, uh, missed one..."


	8. this is it for now

**Hard news to tell, but you should hear it: life has not gone according to plan for me. I was supposed to be married in January, but things have come up and my fiance and I decided to postpone the wedding until we've had more counseling and more time to pray, to really know ourselves and what we want. My fiance is an amazing and wonderful woman, patient and kind beyond what I deserve, so in short: it's not her, it's me. I need to focus on my relationship with her and with my God more, and between working three separate jobs and writing fanfics...well, it should be plain where I am going with this now.**

**I'm sorry to disappoint all of you; your interest in and support of my writing had been both touching and exciting. I've learned so much about writing stories from the short time I was on FFNet, and I benefited from the community of dedicated RWBY fans and writers. But I feel like too much of my life has been consumed by RWBY fanfics and my obsession with the Arkos love story; I need to work on and appreciate my _own_ love story now, however it may end.**

**I'll leave the stories up but I do not intend to update or add to any for the foreseeable future; this might change but don't put your hopes on it. Please continue to read and enjoy the many other stories on FFNet, and to support the writers of not only fanfics but also the source material we have all come to love.**

**If you are desperate to know how my fics were to end, PM me and I'll fill you in on the spoilers.**

**Now just give me a moment, if you will...**

**I've read a lot of fanfics on ffNet, and for personal reasons I tended to avoid the "M" rated ones. Occasionally I'd find one that's rated M but is still "safe" and enjoyable—the authors are usually kind enough to describe what warrants the M rating—but it's a risky thing.**

**Without naming names or titles, I read portions of a fanfic recently that left me upset and disturbed. I accept responsibility for that myself, I knew I was going into risky territory by glancing at it, but I just feel the need to rant a bit and hopefully move on from the unpleasant experience.**

**The fic in question contained smut scenes, but it wasn't simply the fact that it was smut that upset me, having read stories with smutty scenes before. What disturbed me so was the nature of the smut, and that there was no warning about its content: characters—ones that I have come to really enjoy and care about—were being raped repeatedly, coerced into having forced and loveless sex, all of it described in excessively graphic detail, as if their being raped was intended for enjoyment of the reader.**

**Maybe I'm overreacting, I can consider that. You are free to call me a hypocrite, since I read enough of the fic to be bothered by it. But I cannot and will not consider that writing about rape and sexual abuse in such a way—especially when it's about characters that are seventeen-year-old _children—_is in any way good or artistic. I felt angry at myself for reading it, angry at the author for writing it, angry at the readers that praised it, and just plain upset at the world.**

**So, in order to give myself some measure of peace I'll just make a plea: please don't write about rape in any way that puts the crime in a light that is positive or good or enjoyable. Next to murder, rape is one of the single worst things we humans can do to one another. I don't think I can even begin to understand the pain an actual rape survivor deals with even years after the crime; all the shame and turmoil and even guilt they endure for something they neither wanted nor deserved. There is nothing good or sexy or erotic about rape, there is nothing positive or artistic about writing a rape scene in a way that's intended to arouse or get readers off. The characters we write about in our fanfics may be fictional, but they are ones we've come to care about nonetheless. Treat them better than that.**


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